German chocolate specialist Ritter Sport will showcase its latest Travel Retail Editions ranges at TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes, Sept. 30 September to October 3, including new Salted Caramel and Double Crunch flavors that will be joining the brand’s popular mini Tower/Mini Pouch and Vegan Tower offers.
Minis pack a punch
Ritter Sport is adding two new products to its channel exclusive TR Editions: the Mini Salted Caramel variety joins the lineup for both the mini Colourful Variety Tower Pink 250g and the mini Colourful Variety Pouch Pink 500g.
The new mini Colourful Variety Tower includes 15 minis and 5 different flavors and is a mix of sweet, salty, fruity, and crunchy. Brand new is the Salted Caramel flavor, which includes crunchy caramel pieces and a delicate salty note; the fruity mini Strawberry Creme variety, which is filled with pieces of real strawberry fruit and strawberry yogurt crème; the mini Alpine Milk variety, which has a caramel-honey flavor; and the two crunchy varieties, mini Cornflakes and mini Butter Biscuit.
Likewise, the new Ritter Sport mini Colourful Mix Pouch Pink 500g includes the Salted Caramel mini with 30 minis and 5 different flavors.
Doubling down on vegan
Ritter Sport is adding a brand new flavor to its popular Vegan Tower, which has been part of the TR Editions ranges since 2023. The Vegan Double Crunch 100g launches in January 2025 and features a combination of crunchy roasted corn pieces and cornflakes in creamy-mild almond- based chocolate. The chocolate is not only vegan, but also contains cocoa from 100% certified sustainable cocoa sources.
The new colorful Vegan Tower TR Edition 5x100g now offers even more choice: 1x Double Crunch, 1x Salted Caramel, 1x Roasted Peanuts, 1x Crispy Cookie, and 1x Crunchy Almonds.
All the new Mini and Vegan TR Edition NPDs feature natural ingredients, without added flavorings, and cocoa from 100% sustainable, certified cocoa sources. The new products will be available in travel retail from March 2025.
New ad campaign for 2025
Showing in its usual TFWA WE booth position of Mediterranean Village N18, Ritter Sport has updated its stand design to spotlight its core communication messaging for 2025: "Start Your Love Affair with the Square."
The new global ad campaign features a visual of Ritter Sport’s loveable mascot and ambassador, Don Choco the sloth, who lives at the Ritter Sport Farm El Cacao. Don Choco stars in the campaign and surrounded by a colorful tropical background filled with ingredients, suggesting the variety of flavours that Ritter Sport offers. The overarching message invites consumers to indulge in the diverse and delicious offerings of Ritter Sport.
The "Start Your Love Affair with the Square" and "Greetings From..." POS messaging for regional promotions such as Diwali and Chinese New Year as well as city sleeves, will also be showcased on the Ritter Sport stand with updated designs for 2025.
“This year in Cannes, our primary focus is on having an open dialog concerning the current market situation with our existing partners as well as sharing our TR Editions portfolio updates,” says Jan Bessel, international key account manager global travel retail.
“We are keen to also forge new connections, particularly in emerging markets. We aim to strengthen our presence and explore growth opportunities across various distribution channels, including cruise lines, border shops, and airports with the highest priority around the world. 2024 has so far, been filled by promising results and significant insights from our travel retail partners. However, the cocoa situation remains a critical issue within our industry. We are committed to navigating these challenges with precision and care to ensure continued success," he adds.
“We are looking to strengthen the brand perception of Ritter Sport towards one of 'chocolate full of joy and goodness.' Central to this mindset are our high standards for ingredient quality and our vibrant, modern, joyful look and feel. We want to ensure travellers are aware of Ritter Sport as the top choice for quality-conscious chocolate lovers, we also want to enhance our brand appeal among younger demographics. Our goals as we move into 2025 are to increase innovation visibility in the confectionery market through exciting new flavors and a variety of choice for travelers," Bessel finishes.
Alfred Ritter GmbH & Co. KG (Ritter Sport) is on the current Candy Industry “Global Top 100 Candy Companies” list. Click here to view the current “Global Top 100” rankings.
